Natural Cold Remedies – Beat the bug without the drugs!

It’s cold season. The leaves are falling, the air is crisp and my coworkers are dropping like flies. Time to break out some natural cold remedies!

We were pretty lucky all October to avoid snow. Usually, Halifax can expect to see some sort of a light dusting.

So far Alberta and British Columbia have gotten snow but not Nova Scotia! Yet… Which means we still get a lot of nice stroller walks in!

However, not having snow didn’t stop the flu bug from hitting my work hard pretty early on. We’ve been having it in swarms. Luckily a couple of weeks ago we had someone in to do flu shots. So now we will have to battle colds, which are much more tolerable.

Don’t get me wrong, this girl will take her NyQuil if it’s to the point I just need to sleep through a cold. But, if I can, I prefer the more natural route. Also, if you’re at work, or at home momming, you can’t have anything sleep-inducing, for obvious reasons.

Fun idea! See how much of one of the new Gilmore girls episodes you can get through before the NyQuil kicks in.

I remember one time when I was managing a hair salon. Cold ridden, looking and feeling miserable. Only one at work that day so I had to be there. I bought a pack of what I thought were daytime Tylenol cold and sinus. Nope. Brought night by accident. It was the generic brand version so night times were yellow and day blue. Stupid if you ask me. Anyway, let me tell you, it was hard as hell to keep myself from falling asleep. Never again. You bet your ass that I check three times before taking cold meds to work now.

Back to work, back to germs

This year, since it’s my first year back to work after maternity leave I got the flu shot. Why? Because I’ve basically been in a bubble of babyland and didn’t leave the house much. I just don’t want to risk taking those germs home to little man. Same as when I was pregnant I got the flu shot for the first time ever. My doctor warned me when I was pregnant that if I got a cold it’d be as bad as an old person getting the flu and I’d need to be hospitalized. No thanks!

As much as you can clean and scrub your house, self and stuff down cold germs happen. When you feel the sniffles coming on ask yourself, do bugs need drugs? The answer is no. Not all of them.

The more prescriptions you take, the more your body builds a tolerance and the harder it is to fight it off next time.

Enough rambling woman, show me the goods!

Echinacea Tea

This bad boy is something I’ve been using for years. It’s a herbal tea by Traditional Medicinals that’s main ingredient is a herb called echinacea. This perennial plant helps produce white blood cells. Those are the part of your blood that wards off sickness and infection. You can see why this tea is great for cold and flu-like symptoms now eh? Some people aren’t too keen on the taste but I’ve been drinking this since I was a preteen so I’m used to it. You can add a bit of honey if you need it to be sweetened.

Oil of Oregano

Not for the faint of heart. I consider this nature’s Buckley’s. Considered to be antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral. Also, it has immune system boosting properties. The first time you take this, dilute 6 drops into a glass of water, then drink. It’s going to taste weird, maybe burn a little bit. If that went down okay, try 6 drops at the back of your mouth, avoiding your tongue as much as possible. Why? Because this shit burns. Chase that right away with water. Do one of these 3 times a day for best results.

Lemon & Honey

Get some hot water in a mug, squirt in some honey, then lemon juice and if you’re a lemon lover like me, a few slices. Sip this until the cows come home. Not only is it great for your throat but honey is another antibacterial product to help with your health. This is a really easy way to start easing those symptoms. It will open up your airway and start warding off those pesky germs.

What else?

Rest, lots and lots of rest. Yes, I’m well aware if you’re a parent that’s hardly an option. However, if your other half is well and able-bodied, they are more than capable of giving you the time you need to get back into fighting shape. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help.

Aside from letting sleep cure your cold, lots of fluids. This includes soup, water, Gatorade, Pedialyte, whatever. As long as it’s liquid. No, unfortunately, wine does not count.

What are your favourite natural cold remedies? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

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